In the loading and/or unloading of trucks parked at a loading dock it is oftentimes necessary to utilize forklift equipment and the like to facilitate and expedite the loading and unloading operations. It is imperative in such operations that the parked truck remain in a fixed abutting position with respect to the loading dock until the loading and/or unloading operations have been completed so as to prevent serious accidents to both personnel and equipment. Heretofore various means such as wheel blocks and/or inclined approaches or ramps to the loading dock have been employed to assure that the rear end of the truck rests against the dock surface. Such approaches to the problem, however, are not foolproof because the driver of the truck might inadvertently pull away from the dock without first ascertaining whether the loading and/or unloading operation is completed. Furthermore, when ice or snow has accumulated on the inclined approach or ramp, moving the truck away from the dock after the loading and/or unloading operation has been completed might be difficult and frustrating.
In other instances in the past, complex and costly securing devices have been utilized which (a) are difficult to operate and/or maintain in proper working order; (b) are susceptible to vandalism or damage; (c) seriously impede normal maneuvering of the truck itself or the equipment utilized for the loading and/or unloading operations; (d) are unreliable and are adversely affected by certain climatic conditions; (e) are awkward to manipulate and are not capable of being used with a variety of truck sizes and shapes; and (f) require substantial and costly modifications to be made to existing loading docks in order to properly install such prior devices.